February 27th, 2012 by Springboard Clinic

Earlier this year we posted a blog entry called ‘To Disclose or not to Disclose’ that spoke of what we call ‘ADHD traps’ – those aspects of the workplace that just don’t play to an ADHDer’s strengths. These ‘traps’ may be busy cubicles, long meetings, long-term projects, or dull, tedious tasks, and they often lead to boredom, procrastination, and distractibility at work.

Although we alluded to a few potential coping strategies that would help manage these ‘traps,’ we figured it was about time we gave some real, concrete ideas. So, if you ever find yourself getting bored or distracted at work, keep the strategies below in mind to help keep you focused and engaged:

1)      Take Energy Breaks

Set a reminder to go off every hour and take a 5 minute break to walk around the office. We at the Springboard call these ‘energy breaks’, and if you come into our office you will likely see at least one of us head out the door citing, “I need an energy break”. The intention is to help re-energize your brain rather than fight against distraction.

In addition, consider going outside for lunch. Dr. Edward de Bono – a leader in the field of creativity – suggests that new ideas often come from random areas. Walking outside can stimulate new thinking and help you come up with that breakthrough solution to a problem.

2)      Put a Whiteboard in your Office

Stimulate your thinking process by working through problems on a whiteboard. Seeing it visually will often bring forth new ideas, patterns, and approaches. As team members drop in, feel free to hand them a marker and ask them to suggest new ideas.

Use your whiteboard to write down to-do lists and to help keep track of all your projects and responsibilities. Not only will this be a consistent visual reminder of what needs to get done, it eliminates the extra steps of having to remember to write-in (and check) your agenda.

Using a whiteboard is essentially a great way to externalize what an ADHD brain has difficulty with – organizing, planning, and sequencing of ideas. Getting the ideas up on the wall removes the jumble of thoughts in your brain.

3)      Stay Active in Meetings

Work meetings can sometimes go on and on and on….The best thing an ADHD individual can do is to find some way to stay engaged. Some ideas include:

Mind Mapping – Start with the subject matter in the middle of a blank page of paper. As you hear themes emerge, capture them with branches coming from the middle. Add ideas to each branch and look for connections between the branches. Use colours and draw pictures.

Vertical Meetings – Suggest to your team that it might be beneficial to have everybody stand during meetings so people will stay on task and make their comments succinct. It will raise the energy level, too – a sneaky way to incorporate the same benefits as an energy break!

Be a scribe – Make it your job to note key progress on a flipchart during a discussion – it will keep you engaged in the meeting and get you up and moving. Failing that, take your own notes. Even if you never read those notes again, just the act of writing them will engage your focus so you can better pay attention to the meeting.

4)      Start using Time to your Advantage

One simple trick to stay on task is to set parameters for your work by using a timer. Set the timer for 15 minutes and use that time to commit to a task. Better yet, if you’re having difficulty getting started on a task, try setting a timer for 5 minutes and see how much you can get done. After those 5 minutes are up you’ll likely have some momentum to keep going, but if not at least you’ve done 5 minutes of that dreaded task versus nothing.

Another way to use time to your advantage is to reflect on what time of day you’re most alert and plan accordingly. Don’t leave your tedious and boring tasks for that afternoon slump – plan to get them done and over with when you’re at your best.

February 20th, 2012 by Springboard Clinic

The Board of the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA) recently submitted a response to Sroufre’s article published in the New York Times (originally published in the National Post). We thought this was an interesting piece to add to the conversation.

A few highlights:

“His article ignores decades of genetic research that indicates ADHD is highly inheritable. It dismisses modern brain scan technology showing considerable difference in the brains of children, adolescents and adults with ADHD compared to the brains of individuals without ADHD. “

“Contrary to claims in “Ritalin Gone Wrong”, the stimulant medications used for treating ADHD are considered among the most effective medications in all of medicine. They have been in more or less continuous use since 1937. As clinicians practicing in the ADHD field for more than 25 years, we have seen firsthand that these medications are safe and effective over the long-term, with few side effects.”

“This article will unnecessarily worry parents who have made the decision to place their child on medication, add to the stigma erroneously associated with ADHD medication, and may make them feel like bad parents.”

Click here to read the full response.

 

 

February 13th, 2012 by Springboard Clinic

Alan Sroufe’s article “Ritalin gone Wrong” had some very important points around treatment decision-making for ADHD. Unfortunately, because it was presented in a somewhat negative way, the feeling of alarm and fear were the resounding take-home messages. In contrast, Ned Hallowell’s response demonstrated a much more empowering message of where medication fits in with treatment and is definitely worth a read:

http://www.adhdmarriage.com/content/has-ritalin-gone-wrong-hallowell-response-ny-times-article#node-2292

Of course, Springboard Clinic strongly supports that “we must rely less heavily on drugs”: full stop. Many patients arrive at our door step with the experience of having tried multiple medications for their ADHD symptoms, and describe feeling frustrated that the medications did not do more for their well-being. Very few of these have been involved in a multi-faceted treatment program. The medication can kick start change, can motivate confidence to push through skills development, and can help focus on executive function tasks that require more effort by the pre-frontal cortex. Medication can help them focus, but they still require the necessary knowledge, skill development and confidence to truly achieve their potentials.

We say to patients and clients: if you find the right medication, it will help you only 30%. It will be a key piece in helping you develop strategies and build skills but it should never be used as a “quick fix.” There are many who describe a more dramatic, positive experience with medication, saying that a “fog has been lifted” and they can finally think clearly. Some benefit in the short-term and others long-term. But never does it take away ADHD or act as a comprehensive solution.

A few excerpts from Dr. Ned Hallowell’s response are worth noting:

“No clinician worth his or her salt believes that all problems can be cured with drugs. But neither does a responsible clinician deny the good that medications can do. When people ask me, ‘Do you believe in Ritalin?’ I reply that Ritalin is not a religious principle. Ritalin like all medications, can be useful when used properly and dangerous when used improperly. Why is it so difficult for so many people to hold to that middle ground?”

“Used properly, Ritalin is safe, safer than aspirin. As to its long-term use, apply common sense. Use it as long as it is helpful and causes no side effects. That may be for a day, or may be for many years”.

“But that is not to say,” as Dr. Sroufe does, “that Ritalin has ‘gone wrong’.” We may go wrong in how we use it, when we over-prescribe it, or when we use it as a substitute for love, guidance and the human connection. But as long as we use it properly, it remains one of our most valuable – and tested—medications. Going all the way back to the first use of stimulants to treat what we now call ADHD in 1937, stimulants have serves us well as one too—not the tool—for helping children and adults learn how to strengthen the brakes of their race car brains and become the champions they can be”

January 30th, 2012 by Springboard Clinic

For those who don’t know, we here at Springboard send out a quarterly newsletter full of the latest ADHD news, events and tips for the season.

This season’s ‘Winter 2012 Newsletter’ was no exeption –  we packed it full of updates about new staff members, tips for keeping an ADHD child busy, tips for getting the most out of the winter season, the latest research, an inspiring ‘golden moment’ and much more.

Click here to see our Winter 2012 Newsletter

January 16th, 2012 by Springboard Clinic

One reason why we love our job is that we get the privilege of hearing uplifting and inspiring stories from our clients on a daily basis. We call these stories ‘golden moments.’ Golden moments can be anything from graduating university, to learning how to ride a bike, to being able to get up and going in the morning where before it was a struggle to wake up before 3pm.

After hearing more and more of these stories, we decided that we shouldn’t keep them to ourselves. Accordingly, we decided to start including golden moments in our quarterly newsletter. The hope with this is that we share the amazing work our clients have been doing, but also spread the word about the positive side of ADHD

So, consider this an official call for golden moments. If you have a story or moment you would like to share (anonymously if you like) please send it our way. We would love to hear from you!

To share your golden moments please email Tara at tboulden@springboardclinic.com, or if you feel more comfortable send it to your coach.

January 9th, 2012 by Springboard Clinic

Are you sitting at your desk at work right now? If so, first of all…get back to work! Second of all, if you are, you’re likely familiar with ‘ADHD traps’ that can cause trouble – both figuratively and sometimes literally – on the job.

What are ‘ADHD traps’ you ask? Well, for one, as exciting as your job may be, you may have certain tasks that are so mundane or tedious that you put them off until the last minute. Or, in meetings maybe you tend to tune out and miss potentially important information. Or maybe there are too many distractions around you – maybe you sit in a high traffic area and people are constantly popping by to say hello. You get the idea.

Whatever the reason for an ADHD trap, while many are manageable with the appropriate coping skills, sometimes it might be necessary to take an extra step and request accommodations from your employer. Potential accommodations might include audio recorders for meetings, whiteboards for checklists, pre-deadlines with your supervisor, or moving to a low traffic cubicle.

The problem with asking for accommodations, however, is that this more often than not involves disclosing your diagnosis. This is a tricky decision. On the one hand it can be helpful to disclose so you can access your rights to accommodations, but on the other it can sometimes lead to discrimination in the workplace and limit potential opportunities for advancement if interpreted negatively.

Ultimately the decision to disclose is your own – if you feel like you may put your job in jeopardy if you continue without any support from your workplace, or if your job is already in jeopardy, disclosing might be in your best interest. But, if you’re doing well at work and managing without extra support, it might not be worth the risk.

What we’re saying is, before making any decision, be sure to carefully weigh the benefits and risk of disclosing. It is also important to explore your own feelings about having ADHD and sharing that information with others.

If you do decide to disclose, be sure to plan ahead what you’re going to say. Present the diagnosis as an explanation – not an excuse. Make sure your employer is made aware of your strengths and what you bring to the workplace– not just your weaknesses – and what your plan is to manage the things that are a little bit more difficult for you.

As an aside, if you do decide to disclose we highly recommend doing so before you run into serious problems on the job – employers will be much more receptive if disclosure is seen as an act of good faith and not just a last-ditch effort to save your job.

December 20th, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

During the month of November, Springboard hosted a holiday card contest for children. Kids who came to the clinic were asked to draw a picture of what the holidays mean to them. Below is the winner – a picture that we think pretty accurately sums up the holidays for an ADHD household.

Peace…? Maybe not something in the cards this holiday season…Joy though? Yes, this is something that can be worked toward.  Whatever joy means to you, take some time this holiday season to enjoy the simple things in life. Let things go, try to relax – make the most of whatever life throws at you, good or bad. That’s what the holidays are for, right? Rest, rejuvenation and enjoying the little things – that’s what really counts.

For your knowledge, Springboard will be closed from December 22nd to January 2nd – we’ll be in search of our own definition of peace and joy! Whether or not the holidays are something that you look forward to or dread, track your significant moments. We’ll be happy to work through them with you when we get back. At that time we will also be more than happy to help you get rid of your leftover treats!

 

December 19th, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

Promising news for adults with ADHD: Last month we posted a blog about a study that reported medication for ADHD treatment in children did not raise the risk of serious heart problems. Now, a separate group of scientists in the United States, commissioned by the government, have found similar results in adults.

The study, published a few days ago, looked at the medical records of more than 150,000 adults aged 25-64 using stimulant medications such as Concerta, Strattera, Adderall, and Ritalin, and compared them to non-users. From these records, they were able to show that those who were medicated were no more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or sudden death than non-users.

Click here for the original study, or check out the link below to an article with more information:

http://healthland.time.com/2011/12/12/adhd-drugs-dont-pose-risk-for-the-heart/

 

 

December 12th, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

Presented without comment, below is a link to an article about a 5-year old boy diagnosed with ADHD who was handcuffed and charged with battery in California. The story goes that the child had a history of behavioural concerns in the classroom, and a police officer was brought in to ‘scare him straight.’ When he got agitated, however, the police officer put zip ties on his hands and feet and brought him to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

Ok maybe we’ll make one comment: this is a good example of what not to do when dealing with an ADHD child with behavioural concerns.

http://www.kcra.com/news/29847063/detail.html

December 5th, 2011 by Springboard Clinic

A few weeks ago we posted a blog about difficult behaviours as skill deficits rather than purposeful behaviour.  This means that if your child stops to play Lego on the stairs instead of going up to brush his teeth, this may be an indication of a lagging skill and not intentional avoidance.

This concept introduced the importance of identifying skill deficits that are often present in children who have ADHD, as well as viewing their difficult behaviour and undeveloped skills as an expected part of the growth process. So, what can we do to help children develop skills such as frustration tolerance, problem solving, handling change, and so on?

There is some promising research being conducted at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), which aims to show that we can help children by using ‘social-cognitive intervention‘. Simply put, this is the development of individual goals and the training for how to reach these goals through:

• Increasing emotional awareness
• Learning to cope with feelings
• Learning to problem solve

For example, for children who have a hard time managing their emotional response to frustration when the TV is turned off, they can learn how to be aware of their feelings in these situations, how to cope with these frustrations, and how to problem solve so they can move on.

To learn more about CAMH’s ‘Coping Power’ program, click here.